Category Archives: safety

Bike Trail, safety

American River levee construction causes bike trail detour

For the second year in a row, cyclists will have to take a detour route along the American River that runs from the Campus Commons Golf Course to the Northrop Avenue trail entrance because of scheduled construction of a seepage wall.

The construction begins today and could continue until Nov. 30 or later, said Todd Plain, spokesman for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District.

Plain said bikers will “not be inconvenienced” because of the detour, but implored bikers to be extra cautious because of the narrower width of the trail.

“The regular trail is 12 feet paved with granite shoulders on both sides of about three feet,” Plain said. He said the alternate path varies between eight and 10 feet, with a mowed dirt shoulder of two feet on each side.

More at SacBee.com >>>

Bike Trail, safety, Water

Volunteers search American River for missing teen

Hundreds of volunteers on Sunday were taking part in a search along the American River in Sacramento for a missing University of California,Davis student.

The search for Linnea Lomax comes as Marc Klaas, who founded the KlaasKids Foundation after his 12-year-old daughter was kidnapped from her Petaluma home and murdered in 1993, said he was getting involved in the efforts to find her.

More at SacBee.com >>>

Bike Trail, Events, Rafting, safety

Sacramento supervisors extend alcohol ban on American River Parkway

Sacramento County supervisors voted to extend a ban on alcohol along the American River Parkway following last month’s drunken fracas at an event called Rafters Gone Wild.

Supervisors granted the county parks director the authority to ban alcohol consumption on the parkway between Hazel and Watt avenues when he anticipates such events could threaten public safety.

The action extends the county’s previous drinking ban on the parkway, which is in effect on three holidays – Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day. Supporters of the stronger ban say they expect young revelers will find a way around it.

“They’ve declared war on you,” said John Barris, a retired county juvenile court administrator.

This was the second year public safety officials struggled to contain fights, nudity and other questionable activity at Rafting Gone Wild, an event that has been promoted through social media without any support by a known organization. More than 3,000 people showed up to the event last month, with 23 people arrested.

More at SacBee.com >>>
Rafting, safety

Parks Dept. Asks for More River Alcohol Bans, Policy Clarification

County parks officials want to have the authority to ban alcohol along a portion of the American River on more days during the summer than just holidays, and to also prohibit drinking in rafts.

The move comes weeks after the second “rafters gone wild” event, where hundreds of people rafted, boated and hung out along the American River, many of them drinking.

During this year’s event back in July, deputies arrested 23 people, and many more were picked up for being intoxicated but were turned away by medical staff at the jail.

Last year, the first year of the social-media-driven event, 12 people were arrested for alcohol-related violations, and dozens of others were given citations for unlawful possession of booze.

The Department of Regional Parks is recommending two things; one, authorizing the Director of Regional Parks to prohibit alcohol consumption on Memorial Day, July 4th and Labor Day, and any other day during the summer which the Director believes drinking on the river will result in public safety issues.

More at Fox40.com >>>

Bike Trail, safety, Water, Wildlife

American River levee work closes some bike trail access

Access points along the American River Bike Trail are closed during a project to reinforce and raise more than 4,000 feet of levee along the American River in Sacramento.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced that work on the Howe Avenue Levee Raise project that officially began July 25 is in full swing.

The levee, running east from Howe Avenue along the American River’s north bank, is being raised an average of 1 foot to allow for more water coming from Folsom Dam and its auxiliary spillway, which is under construction and scheduled for completion in 2017, an Army Corps of Engineers news release states. The levee project is to be completed this October.

More at SacBee.com >>>

safety

Missing Foresthill hiker found after 5 days


A California Highway Patrol helicopter pilot located a Foresthill hiker in a canyon bed on the North Fork of the American River Friday afternoon.  He had been missing since Sunday.

Ryan Petifer, 31, has poison oak and cuts on his face and hands but is otherwise healthy after spending five full days trying to find a trail back to his car all week.

The avid hiker drove his car three miles into the woods, then hiked two miles down the steep and rugged Green Valley trail Sunday afternoon to go fishing.

“By the time it started to get dark and I couldn’t find a good trail to get back up to where I needed to be,” said Petifer. “I started realizing that I was going to miss work the next day and I needed to stay the night and just keep working on it the next day.”

More at News10.net >>>

safety

Copper thefts plague Auburn, Folsom Lake state recreation areas

Copper thieves have repetitively struck at the Auburn and Folsom Lake state recreation areas recently causing more than $40,000 in damage.

Last week the most recent copper theft occurred in the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area when a bathroom had to be completely shut down.

The copper was stripped from the water lines in the bathroom in that instance, costing around $4,000 in damage, according to Brian Moses, district maintenance chief.

“It’s nonstop. Nothing this big ever really hits us, but lately it’s been something every week,” Moses said.

That same bathroom had four Sloan Royal Flush Valves stolen from it at $200 each. Thieves have even resorted to stealing the drain covers from showers because they’re made of brass.

“It’s never ending,” Moses said.

Those are just a few of the random copper thefts that have taken place in the Folsom Lake State Recreation Area in the past few weeks.

More at AuburnJournal.com >>>

Bike Trail, Events, Fire, Fish, Rafting, safety, Water, Wildlife

Surprise $54M won’t impact Auburn recreation areas

Auburn and Folsom state recreation areas won’t benefit from $54 million recently found stashed in California State Parks’ budget.

Local recreation officials said the 25-year partnership between the two recreation areas and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation that was signed last January prevents any of the newly found money from potentially being allocated to Auburn or Folsom Lake by the governor.

“No, that money will go to the governor to be appropriated, but it should have no impact on Auburn Recreation Area or any of the units associated with the agreement,” said Matt Green, superintendent of the Gold Fields District of State Parks.

That means the recreation areas will continue to be, in Green’s words, “self-sustaining” through revenue it generates partially through fees and supplemental funding it gets from the Bureau of Reclamation. On July 1, new fees were added to parking areas in the Auburn and Folsom Lake state recreation areas or existing fees were increased.

For example, parking along the road in the Auburn State Recreation Area was free before, but on July 1 a $10-per-day fee was imposed in the confluence area and in the Lake Clementine area boat launching fees were also increased to $10.

California State Parks recently found $54 million of unspent money in its budget due to underreporting of funds to the state Department of Finance for the last 12 years, according to a press release by the state Natural Resources Agency.

Roughly $20.3 million of recreation funds and more than $33.4 million off-highway vehicle funds were unused by State Parks, the release stated.

Katy Veling, of Auburn, was enjoying the confluence area near Auburn on Wednesday and said she wishes the $54 million could be used to either lessen or do away with the fees. She even said the new parking fee has kept her away from her favorite swimming spot on the American River.

 More at ColfaxRecord.com >>>
Rafting, safety, Water

Man rescued from American River

A man was rescued from the American River after being pinned against a bridge pillar Monday afternoon.

Sacramento Metro crews responded to 8661 La Riviera Drive around 4:40 p.m. to find the victim finding to keep his head above water, Capt. Forrest Rowell said.

Two to three inner tubes were tied together as they floated down the river. The victim got off one of the inner tubes, but his leg got wrapped in a rope and he was stuck. The strong current pushed him against a pillar on a bridge. Powell said the man kept fighting to keep his head above water until rescue crews arrived.

More at News10.net >>>

Rafting, safety, Water

Marine Drowns In American River After Current Pulls Him Under

 

There was tragedy along the American River Saturday afternoon when four military buddies were hoping to cool off.

Three made it across the river but one didn’t.

“I tried to swim and catch him and he went under,” said Chris Crotte, the victim’s friend.

Crotte did all he could to save his friend, Michael Berry.

“It was pretty dramatic,” said one witness.

As hundreds of people were enjoying the afternoon sun along the American River near Hagan Park, four buddies decided to cool off and swim across.

“Three made it but one didn’t,” said Walt White, Sacramento Metro Fire.

More at CBSLocal.com >>>